CORE Organic
project information

How to assure safety, health and
sensory qualities of organic products

Project title: Quality analysis of critical control points within the whole food chain and their impact on food quality, safety and health (QACCP)

Project objective

The overall objective of the QACCP project has been to optimise organic production and processing in order to improve food quality and increase health promoting aspects in consumer products. The approach was a chain analysis approach which addressed the link between farm and fork and backwards from fork to farm.

The objectives were to test food authenticity on farm level and food quality and health in processing. The carrot was chosen as the model vegetable since it is common for the involved partners from industry and is processed for baby food; hence the results are relevant for other vegetables and organic food in general as well.

Selected main outcomes of QACCP

Quality Analysis Critical Control Points applied in industry

The QACCP research shows that based on the method Quality Analysis Critical Control Points (QACCP) quality factors for the improvement were determined and the product could be improved.

The methodology of QACCP could be implemented in the industry in the next step and an analyse matrix for the industry to evaluate sensory quality, food safety and health could be worked out.

Identifying critical steps along the organic production chain of carrot baby food

This figure illustrates the critical steps where quality could be changed during
production of a baby food puree made from organic carrots.

QACCP final report

QACCP
Project background

A significant proportion of organic consumers
believe
that organic food has a better quality
than non-organic. However, scientific data
backing
up this belief are extremely sparse.

Consumer demand for healthy, safe and
high quality food is increasing. Against this
background,
the demand for organic food has
been rapidly growing. But health effects and
sensory qualities of organic products need to
be assured. The objective of this project is to
improve product-related quality management in
farming and processing.